Sarris V for Vostilidi
Have you had wine from Kefalonia? If the answer is ‘no’ then you should try to change that ASAP! I haven’t yet been to the island but it is so on my list (right after Paros). And Sarris Winery and the Sarris V for Vostilidi are two of the big reasons why.
Kefalonia (or Cephalonia if you prefer) is one of Greece’s Ionian islands. Not just one of actually, it’s the largest. It is also home to an ancient wine culture – mentioned in Homer’s The Odyssey no less – with not just one but three PDO-level appellations. The island’s main claim to wine fame is the grape Robola. But we’re not talking about Robola today. Today it’s all about Vostilidi.
Vostilidi makes its home on the Greek Ionian islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos (where is goes by Goustolidi). It’s relatively rare, tannic (even without skin contact), and produces medium to full-bodied wines with lots of yellow fruit and floral aromas.
Today’s wine came from Sarris Winery located in the south-west part of Kefalonia. Panos Sarris began as a sommelier before transitioning into winemaking. He places great emphasis on the local varieties and makes low intervention wines.
Sarris V for Vostilidi, 2019
For his V for Vostilidi, Sarris destems the grapes, presses them gently (must watch out for those tannins!) and ferments them on native yeasts at cold temperatures. After fermentation, the wine ages for nine months in large oak casks before bottling it unfiltered.
It poured a warm, golden yellow color echoed by aromas of yellow fruit, fresh hay, daisies, and honey. Despite having read that Vostilidi is a tannic grape, I was surprised by how tannic the wine was. Not tongue-leadening tannic or anything unpleasant, but they definitely let me know they were there. Flavors of quince, orange, and tobacco joined the daisies and honey on the palate along with a nice acidity.
Quite different from the Zakynthos Goustolidi I’ve had!